Automatic door opener



April 8, 1952 -5y 2,591,693

AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENER 7 Filed Nov. 20, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Jim J 66756) April 8, 1952 J. J. GATESY 2,591,693

AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENER Filed Nov. 20, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. J/m/ J. 6/7 739% x77 TOP/V 5 K April 8, 1952 J. J. GATESY AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 20, 1948 INVENTOR.

M w \W 4 mum a w w/ a d 8 F [J Patented Apr. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic door openers and more particularly to a device which is adapted to automatically open a door as a person approaches to pass through.

It is well known that automatic door Opening devices, such as heretofore known, have been very complicated and have required the installation of heavy and costly equipment which is commonly contained in a separate specially constructed compartment located below the floor over which the door is located.

It is also known that such devices'have been objectionable for the reason that no provision has heretofore been made to permit a door to normally close, independently of the device, in the event of its becoming inoperative for such reasons as jamming of the mechanism, or failure of the electric current to which it is connected.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an apparatus which may be readily installed directly to the frame of a door, as a compact unit, for automatically opening and yieldingly closing said door, and which will, in the event of failure of the electric current, cause the door to automatically close.

A further object of this invention is to provide such an automatic door opening apparatus having a mechanism that is controlled by a photo-electric cell which is responsive to the interruption of a light beam directed against said cell.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus employing electrically driven means for automatically opening the door and spring means for normally closing it.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of'an opening and closing apparatus having means for yieldingly closing the door after it has been opened by the electrically driven means so as to cause the door to be closed without danger of injury to a person who may be caught between it and the door frame.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a door opening and closing apparatus that is adapted to positively open a door and to cause said door to be yieldingly closed after it has remained open for a predetermined length of time, or upon the failure of the opening mechanism to properly operate.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be more clearly understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, illustrating the arrangement of my improved door opener and the photo-electric device connected therewith.

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, of the door and the opening mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a front view of said mechanism with a portion of the casing cover broken off to show the arrangement of parts.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged front view, in central vertical section, showing the construction of the clutch mechanism employed in my door opener.

Fig. 6 is a sectional top view on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a rear view of a conventional spring hinge such as used with my door opening apparatus.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric circuit for controlling the operation of my improved door opener.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the numeral 5 denotes a conventional door which is mounted in a frame 6, and I denotes the floor adjacent to said door.

My invention provides a door opening and closing apparatus which includes a hinge 8 for mounting a door to the frame 6. This hinge is preferably provided with a spring 9 to yieldingly urge the door towards its normally closed position.

The door opening mechanism is preferably contained within a case or supporting frame H) which may be mounted upon the frame 6 of the door, by suitable means such as brackets H, so as to conveniently mount the opening mechanism as a complete unit.

The said opening mechanism includes an operating shaft I2 which is rotatable in suitable bearings I3 and I4 secured to the case Ill. The said operating shaft carries a suitable clutch mechanism which is preferably of the conventional disc type and includes a driving cup I3 that is rotatable upon the reduced portion M of the said operating shaft, and is positioned by means of a shoulder l5 thereon. A gear I6 is secured to the said cup and driven by means of a driving gear I! on a conventional speed reduction unit, indicated at [8, which includes a gear train that is driven by a suitable electric motor I9.

The said clutch includes a body member 20 which is secured to the portion 21 of the shaft by a suitable key or set screw 22. This body is splined to a series of inside friction discs 23 which are interposed between a series of outside ment in the relay device indicated at 8.

friction discs 2d that are-splined to the driving cup it.

A thrust collar 25 is slidably carried on the body it and movable by means of levers 26 which are located in slots ill in said body.

The said levers are operated by cams 23 carried on an operating sleeve 29 that is slidable on the body 28 and movable by means of a lever so that is pivotally mounted to brackets 31 on the case it and rotatably connected to the said sleeve A sping 32 is provided, between an Xtension $3, on the said lever 3b, and the casing iii, to urge the lever in a downward direction for normally retaining the sleeve 29 against the flange on the body 29 and thereby normally holding the clutch in disengaged poition so as to permit free rotation of the operating shaft i2 independently of the operating mechanism.

In order to operate the said clutch, I provide a solenoid to which is preferably mounted at the top of the casing it and has a plunger 35 se cured to the extension 33 of the lever 38.

My improved door opener is controlled by means of a conventional photo-responsive device which is preferably contained within a suitable post Bl and includes a light source 38 and a photo-electric cell 3% that is responsive to interruption of a light beam it from the source 33. The said device is connected in an electric circuit which includes an electric switch it that preferably comprises a spring bar 32 which is mounted to a terminal post 53 and extends therefrom nor mally into contact with a terminal post 64. The said spring bar is movable, to open said switch, by means of an abutment screw 1135 which is threaded to a finger it that is mounted on a supporting strap ll secured to the operating shaft 52 the said screw and strap being adjustable on the operating shaft so that the exact position to which the door will be opened, prior to the opening of the switch ll by the screw 45 may be predetermined.

As illustrated in Fig. 8, the photo-electric cell 39 is connected to a suitable relay, indicated at 48 which preferably includes an electric switch $9 that is controlled by a variable potentiometer 58 that is selectively adjustable by suitable means, such as a screw 5!, to cause operation of said switch at the expiration of a time delay period of a desired predetermined length. Such relay elements are commonly known and readily obtainable on the market and are included in a complete unit with photo-electric cell for controlling the relay.

A source of electric current 52 is connected, from one side, through the said relay to the solehold 35 and the motor as, and, from the opposite side, directly to the said solenoid and through the switch il to the said motor. The light source 38 may be connected to the source of current 52, as illustrated, or it maybe connected to a separate circuit if desired.

The operation of my improved automatic door opener is as follows:

As a person approaches the door 5 and passes through the light beam to, he interrupts the passage of light to the photo-electric element 39 and causes operation of the relay and time delay ele- The switch of the said relay will then close the circuit and energize the solenoid 35 and, through the normally closedswitch ii also energize the motor it. This will cause the said motor to rotate the driving cup 53 of the clutch and also cause the solenoid to operate the lever 33 and permit engagement of the clutch to thereby cause rotation of the operating shaft if for operating the connecting lever 53 and, through the link E l, forcing the door 5 to open against the tension of the spring 9.

As the said door reaches its open position, the abutment screw 55, which is carried on the operating shaft i2, will engage the spring bar 42 and open the switch 5 to break the electric circuit to the motor 19 and thereby (lo-energize said motor and cause the door to be retained in open position by means of the resistance applied through the gear train of the speed reduction unit it against reverse rotation of the shaft 52. This will retain the door in its open position until the expiration of the time delay period provided by potentiometer 50 in the relay device 45.

The said relay will then open the switch 59 thereof and break the c'"cuit to ole-energize the solenoid 35, De-energisation of the solenoid will permit the spring 32 to operate the lever 39 so as to disengage the clutch mechanism and disconnect the operating shaft 42 from the driving motor l9, whereupon the door 5 will be disconnccted from the opening mechanism and rendered free to be closed by the tension of the spring 9 and independently of the said mechanism.

Closing of the door will swing the lever 53 to rotate the operating shaft H2 in a reverse direction. This will move the abutment screw away from the switch bar 42 and permit the switch 5| to close and thereby restore the entire apparatus to its normal condition wherein it is ready for operation upon the breaking of the light beam 38.

In order to prevent damage to the apparatus from failure on the part of the light source 38,

such as may be due to the light bulb burning out, I provide a replaceable time fuse 58 which will break the circuit upon the expiration of a suitable time period, which is necessarily longer than the time period provided by the potentiometer 59, and cause the door to be returned to its normal condition wherein it will be disconnected from the door opening apparatus and may be opened manually until the said time fuse has been replaced.

From the above description, it will be understood that my improved apparatus, and the system which includes the electric circuit for automatically operating it, will operate to successively open the door, retain it in open position for a brief predetermined period of time, and then release the door and permit it to be independently closed by the separate means which include the spring member 9 or any other similar means.

The length of the time period provided by the potentiometer for the delayed action which retains the door in open position may be predetermined and will run fromeach time that the light beam is broken so that, when a second person approaches the door closely upon the passage therethrough of the previous person, and breaks the light, beam before the expiration of a full time period and while the door is still open, the potentiometer will be reset for a new time period and the door will thus remain open and allow the second person a full period to pass through it. In other words, my improved apparatus will operate to keep the door open for a full time period for each person passing through the light beam and thereby prevent closing of the door against a following person passing through the said light beam before the time period for the previous person has expired.

It will also be understood that, by adjusting the abutment screw with relation to the spring bar 42, the said door 5 may be made to open to a desired extent before the switch 41 is opened and the door caused to momentarily remain in open position.

In order to prevent throwing the door open to a position beyond the predetermined position for which the screw 45 is adjusted, there is provided a suitable brake mechanism, preferably comprising a friction disc 55, upon the end of the motor shaft, and a similardisc 56 which is adjustable, by means of an adjusting screw 5'! in a bracket 58, to apply friction against the disc and thereby stop the rotation of the motor shaft immediately upon the de-energization of the motor and prevent over-running of the member l2 which would carry the door to a position beyond the predetermined position for which the screw 45 has been adjusted.

From the above description, it will be clearly understood that my invention provides a door opener which requires electric power only to open the door and employs independent spring means, such as the spring 9, for closing the door. This is of particular advantage since it permits the door to be readily opened independently of the door opening mechanism and thereby complies with fire laws which may be in existence in certain localities. Also, since the operating shaft I2 is normally disengaged from the driving mechanism, the door is always free to be operated independently of the door opener so that its use may be continued in the event of a break down of said mechanism.

Further, since the clutch mechanism is disengaged upon the opening of the electric circuit, the door is always permitted to close in the event of a power shutdown and this provides a very important advantage since it conforms with certain fire protection laws for public places which might require that certain doors must at all times be self -closing by spring action.

It will be understood from the above that, since my improved door opener may be easily installed by simply-mounting it to the door frame and connecting the operating arm to the door, I have provided an automatic door opener which can be installed without complicated and costly alter ations in building constructions.

It will be also understood that, by reversing the action of the operating arm 53 or the rotation of the shaft l2, my improved apparatus may be made to operate in reverse as in cases where a door is normally in open position and it may be required to automatically cause closing of the door, retaining it in closed position for a predetermined period of time and then rendering the door free to open and, by means such as the spring 9, to be returned to its normally open position independently of the closing apparatus.

I claim:

1. An automatic door opening apparatus of the character described comprising a mechanism mounted to a door to be operated thereby and including, in combination, an electric motor, a speed reduction unit driven by said motor, an operating shaft driven by said unit, a connecting arm between said operating shaft and door, clutch means between said motor and operating shaft, an electric circuit including a solenoid operable upon energization thereof to cause operation of said clutch for connecting the operating shaft to the motor and, uponde-energization thereof to cause said clutch to disconnect said operating shaft from the motor, a relay switch operable to close said circuit and simultaneously energize said motor and solenoid, a separate switch in said circuit operable upon the door reaching its open position to cause de-energization of said motor while the solenoid remains energized, the said unit being adapted to resist rotation of the shaft and thereby retain the door open, time delay means for causing operation of said relay switch after a predetermined time period to de-energize said'solenoid and cause the clutch to disengage the operating shaft from the unit and thereby render the door free to close, and spring means operable independently of said opening apparatus for closing said door.

2. An automatic door opening apparatus comprising a mechanism contained within a case mounted to a door to be opened thereby, said mechanism including a motor, a speed reduction unit driven by said motor, an operating shaft driven by said unit, clutch means between said operating shaft and unit including a member secured to said shaft and a separate member rotatable on said shaft and connectable to said secured member for causing rotation of said operating shaft by the unit, spring means normally retaining the said members disconnected, an electric circuit, means in said circuit for causing operation of said clutch members for connecting the operating shaft to the unit, a connection between said operating shaft and the door for opening the door upon rotation of said operating shaft, a switch in said circuit for controlling the operation of said motor, means rotatable with said opening shaft for operating said switch and de-energizing the motor upon the door being opened to a predetermined position, the said unit being adapted to resist rotation of the operating shaft while the motor is de-energized and thereby prevent closing of the door, and a separate switch in said circuit for Causing disengagement of said operating shaft from the unit and permitting independent movement of the door to a closed position.

3. A door opening apparatus comprising a motor, an operating shaft, a gear unit between said motor and shaft for driving said shaft, a connection between said operating shaft and the door, an electric circuit for energizing the motor to rotate the operating shaft through the gear unit and thereby cause rotation of the door to an open position, means operable upon the door reaching a predetermined open position for breaking the circuit to de-energize the motor, the said unit being adapted for preventing reverse rotation of the operating shaft and thereby retaining the door in open position after the motor is de-energized, a clutch for connecting said operating shaft to the gear unit, and means operable upon the door having been retained in open position for a predetermined period of time to cause operation of said clutch to release the door from the gear unit and thereby permit closing of the door independently of the gear unit.

4. An automatic door opening apparatus of the character described comprising a mechanism mounted to a door to be operated thereby and including the combination of an electric motor, a speed reduction unit driven by said motor, an operating shaft driven by said unit, a connecting arm between said operating shaft and door, clutch means including co-acting members carried on said operating shaft, a lever pivotally mounted for operating said clutch means, a spring normally urging said lever toretain said clutch members in disengaged position, an elec tric circuit, a solenoid in said circuit for operating said lever to cause engagement of said members for connecting the operating shaft to the unit, a photo-responsive relay including a switch for closing said circuit to thereby energize said motor and solenoid and cause operation of said apparatus for opening the door, a separate switch in said circuit for controlling said motor, means movable with said operating shaft for opening said separate switch and de-energizing the motor upon the door reaching a predetermined open position, the said unit being adapted to resist closing of the door when the motor is de-ener' gized, means causing operation of the said switch of the relay at the expiration of a predetermined time period to thereby de-energize said solenoid and cause said lever to disengage the clutch members and thereby disengage the operating shaft from the unit to permit free rotation of the operating shaft and render the door free to close, and separate means for closing said door independently of said opening apparatus.

5. An automatic door opening apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the separate switch opening means are selectively adjustable for pre- 8 determining the extent to which the door is opened prior to opening of the said switch.

6. An automatic door opening apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the said switch opening means comprises an arm adjustably mounted on said operating shaft, and abutment means adjustable on said arm for opening said switch when the door has reached a predetermined open position.

JOHN J. GATESY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,249,110 Kaiserman Dec. 4, 1917 1,684,704 Hubbell Sept. 18, 1928 1,768,714 Riton July 1, 1930 1,877,572 Harrison et al. Sept. 13, 1932 2,024,300 Miller Dec. 17, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 353,776 Great Britain July 30, 1931 552,187 Great Britain Mar. 25, 1943 

